Apparatus for and process of readily determining alcohol concentrations in live animals and solutions



DeC- 1, 1936- lR. N. HARGER 2,062,785

APPARATUS F-oR AND PRocEss oF READILY DETERMINING ALCOHOL coNcENTRATroNs 1N LIVE ANIMALSAND soLuTIoNs Filed June 11, 1932 W'Hiiiizii'i :Vf I i z f i,

INVENTOR. Km L H /V, Haken.

, ATTORNEYa Patented ec. 1., 1936 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR AND PROCESS OF READ- lLY DETEEMINING ALCOHOL CONCEN- TRATIONS IN LIVE ANIMALS AND SOLU- TIONS Rolla N. Harger, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application June 11, 1932, Serial No. 616,661

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a process oi and apparatus for determining the presence of alcohol in solutions or a living animal and the amount thereof.

It is a well established fact that when air remains in contact with an aqueous solution of alcohol until equilibrium is established, this air will absorb a definite quantity of alcohol so that a fixed ratio will exist between the concentration of alcohol in the air to that of the water. This is called the partition ratio,

It has also been chemically determined that the `degree of intoxication of any person is proportional to the concentration of absorbed alcohol in the persons blood. When this concentration is one part per thousand in blood, intoxication begins; at about ve parts per thousand, the person is dead drunk or in a condition of unconsciousness, and the fatal concentration is about six parts per thousand.

Blood tests obtained a considerable period after an automobile accident, are, except in extreme cases of intoxication, not reliable or accurate with reference to the possible intoxicated condition of the driver at the time of the accident. Even an interval of an hour is suicient for one slightly intoxicated to burn up or oxidize sufcient alcohol, that is, to sober up. The odor on the breath is not a reliable test for intoxication.

Evidence obtained by blood. testing is open to two objectionsone legal, the other practical. The legal objection, is, if the results areobtained without the persons express consent, said results are classed with confessions obtained under duress. The practical objection is that a highly technical laboratory assistant is required to be present to obtain the blood sample of the alleged intoxicated driver and this must be very shortly after the accident, or the evidence will be worthless even ii legally admissible.

The present invention eliminates both of the 4aforesaid objections, and is based upon the fundamental fact, determined by experiment, that two litres of breath (alveolar air), contain substantially the same amount of alcohol as one cubic centimeter of blood. Thus, if the blood contains two parts of Ialcohol per thousand, there will be two cubic centimeters of alcohol for one thousand cubic centimeters of blood, and a breath volume of two thousand litres would contain two cubic centimeters of alcohol.

Alveolar air (true breath) contains, experiment demonstrates substantially 51/2 carbon dioxide. This xed alcohol-breath (alveolar aimcarbon dioxideblood ratio is the basis of the present invention. In brief, the intoxication test determines the alcohol-carbon dioxide ratio.

The present invention is directed to the employrnent of a process and use of apparatus and materials that do not require the .presence of a technician to obtain the necessary sample to be tested. f Likewise, the present invention operates at all ordinary temperatures-that between l0 degrees. below zero centigrade to 4.0 degrees centigrade requires not more than a pint of breath and each test may be completed in about two minutes. v

The present invention has been fully cornpared with blood testing and the results obtained from numerous tests have proven that the blood alcohol concentration may be accurately determined by this invention.

The present invention utilizes permanganic acid or a salt thereof, and in a sufcient amount` to produce a distinct color which color undergoes" a distinct change upon addition of ethyl orgrainl alcohol. y n

One of the reagents used is sulphuricA acid which is mixed with water, the mixture having a specic gravity of 1.29 to 1.62 with ranges between 1.3 and 1.6 satisfactory, and. a Specific gravity of about 1.4 to 1.5 preferred. The lower gravity mixture reacts too slow for so-called spot testing. With the heavier gravity v.the

acid reacts very rapidly with the permanganatedecomposing it as it is added. This prevents the use of the mixture for test purposes. y l From the foregoing the presence of grain (ethyl) alcohol in the-breath can be visually determined promptly for example, at the scene of the accident-in other words, on the spot. Normal atmosphere contains only about 0.04 of one percent of carbon Idioxide or four parts per ten thousand. Alveolar air contains 51/2 percent carbon dioxide. Any so-called dilution by atmospheric air, therefore is relatively negligible in quantitative calculations. All that is necessary is to measure the carbon dioxide in the breath passed through the apparatus and compare same against the known amount of alcohol required to eiect the color change in the known amount of color changeable medium. This ratio can then be directly changed into an alcoholblood ratio which is a measure of intoxication.

Precaution should be exercised to remove the moisture from the Iair handled before passingit through the carbon dioxide fixing or measuringk device.

One limitation in the present invention is that the color changeable liquid must be fairly fresh and should be mixed at the time of taking of the sample or testing or very shortly therebefore. This invention is a true test of the degree of intoxication of the testee at the time of the test, irrespective of how much alcohol may have been imbibed. In other words, this invention for testing intoxication is not dependent upon any tolerance factors or when the alcohol was imbibed.

Apparatus suitable for practicing the invention is illustrated in the drawing and said disclosure is to be considered as merely illustrative of mechanism suitable for practicing the invention.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View of apparatus necessary for obtaining quantitative and qualitative tests for alcohol in blood.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of apparatus-necessary for obtaining quantitative and qualitative tests for alcohol in solutions.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing I0 indicates a suitable container in which is placed a predetermined amount of-a mixture of sulphuric acid and water of a known specific gravity to which is-added a small measured amount of permanganic acid, or the salt of permanganic acid, the amount being suiiicient to produce a distinct color change upon exposure to ethyl alcohol or alcoholic vapor. A salt which has proven satisfactorily is potassium permanganate. To one volume of N-20th permanganate add to 16 volumes of sulphuric acid having a specic gravity of 1.4 to 1.5 (1.42 being preferred).

The resulting chemical equation can be determined and this particular mixture has the property of reacting rapidly with ethyl alcohol and what is more important while the mixture is cold. The test liquid is a color changeable liquid. This test liquid has the usual reddish purple color. The proper shade is approximately that known as orchid. Upon the passage of suiiicient ethyl alcohol vapor through the liquid or addition of sufcient alcohol to the liquid, the color changes to almost clear or a very faint light brown color.

The vessel II] includes a suitable closure such as a stopper I2 and an intake line I3 passes through the cork or closure, and terminates near the bottom of the container in a distributing head I4.` A discharge line I5 also passes through the cork I2 and the air to be tested is taken in through line I3, discharged at Ill and bubbles up! through the liquid I I and discharges through the line I5. The line I3 includes a shut-oir valve I6 and the discharge line I5 includesa shut-oil valve I'I. This tube with its intake and discharge line and control valves may be detachably mounted on a suitable base in a clip bracket I8. The valve is connected to an intake I9 and this intake is arranged tobe detachably associated with a hood or mask 28.

When the testee is dead drunk, semi or fully unconscious, the mask may be utilized and it is held immediately adjacent the testees nose and as the testee exhales, the air is promptly sucked through the mask, lines I9 and I3 and into the container or test tube It, and then passed out through the discharge line I5. An indicator not shown may be utilized to show the operator when the testee is exhaling. Such an element may be a strip of light weight paper or a feather. The mask may be omitted if the operator is sufficiently skilled in taking samples.

When the testee is sufficiently jubilant or exhilarated and conscious and is agreeable, the mask 2t may have substituted for it a mouth piece and the testeemay then blow through the lines I 9 and Eiland in this way 4no additional means for sucking or pushing the air through the color changing liquid need be provided. The testee usually is quite agreeable to blowing through the liquid to see the color change. The foregoing represents the various conditions under which the qualitative presence of alcohol in the blood in an amount suicient to cause even the slightest degree of intoxication, may be determined.

The means for passing the air or rather the breath of the testee through the test liquid when the testee is semi-conscious or unconscious, includes a combination pump and compressor. In the drawing, 2l indicates the cylinder with the combination inlet and outlet 22, controlled by a valve 23. Mounted in the cylinder is a piston 24 and the same may be power operable or manually operable. Herein, the piston is shown connected by `a connecting rod 25 pivoted eccentrically at 2S. upon a rotatably mounted disc 21 with which is associated a crank handle 28. As the handle is rotated, the piston is reciprocated to and fro. Each reciprocation is of a predetermined stroke sothat the total amount of air handled may be ascertained by providing a counting device 29 having an actuable nger 3i) engaged by a tripping member 3I so that at each reciprocation the counting device records said reciprocation and the-reciprocations are progressively tabulated.

The combination intake and outlet 22 in addition to having the valve 23, includes an intake 32 and a discharge 33. Intake 32 includes a check valve 34 and discharge 33 includes a check valve 35'. Herein thisl unit device is shown connected tothe discharge line I5 of the test liquid containing container. This device, however, may be connected tothe line I9 and when so connected, the hood 2'0- is connected to the line 32 ahead of the checkvalve. In this latter arrangement, the piston and cylinder act as a suction pump upon the suction stroke and act as aforce pump to force the breath through the test-ing liquid. When connected, as illustrated in the drawing, the piston acts as a suction pump and the breath of the testee passes through the hood 20, lines I9 and I3, through'the liquidand then-issucked through discharge line i5 into the cylinder 2l, and is exhausted through line 33;

When a quantitative test is desired, the breath after passing through the testing'liquid, is passed through preferably a carbon dioxide iixing unit which includes a dehydrator indicated at 36. 'Ihe dehydrator is conventionally illustrated as a test tube closed by a stopper 3l; MountedV therein is a dehydrating material38 which is normally nonreactive to carbon dioxide. Such a material is calcium chloride. The tube 3 9 passes through the closure or stopper 3"!v and terminates in an open endrllso that the air passed through the color changing liquidpassesintothe dehydrator, then passes upwardly through the material 38 andis iinally discharged through the routlet 4I). L`iner39 is herein illustrated asconnected by the detachable connection 4l to the line 33 of the pump unit.

The carbon dioxide fixing unit also includes a Vessel 42 having a known Weight of material 113` which will readily react with the carbon dioxide in the dehydrated breath as it passes through the same and will abstractr the carbon dioxide. This material may be soda lime. The change in weight of the carbon dioxide fixation device is the weight of thecarbon dioxide which haspassed into vthe vessel 42 and has been trapped-therein. Vessel 42 includes a discharge valve M included in the discharge line 45. The intake valve 46 is 75- included in the intake line 4| which is connected by a flexible or detachable connection 48 to the discharge line 40 of the dehydrator unit. The valves 44 and 45 are provided so that the carbon dioxide fixation unit may be readily applied to the arrangement and then removed for replacement with another such device for multiple testing.

A portable testing device including the color changing vessel, pump, dehydrator and carbon dioxide fixation device, all may be included in a box or container and supported by portions thereof. A box or container having approximate dimensions of 5" or 6 in width, 6 to 8" in length and 2" to 3 in depth has been found suicient. More elaborate apparatus could include racks to support additional carbon dioxide fixation devices and color changing units,these being detachably supported in clips, such as shown at I8. Each device 42 would have its total initial weight, including the weight of the carbon dioxide fixing material, indicated thereon.

Each color changing unit may be provided with a calibration mark i90 for indicating a predetermined amount of a color changing liquid. When that liquid changes from a violet or orchid shade to a clear or slightly brown tinge, then suflicient alcohol vapor or alcohol has passed through the same to effect that change. This amount is known. If all the air containing this known amount of alcohol is forced through the carbon dioxide fixation device and the weight of the carbon dioxide measured, then the amount of alveolar air which has passed through the color changing vessel is accurately determined and from this the degree of intoxication can be accurately determined.

As before stated, the apparatus disclosed in Fig. l is conventional and suitable for practicing the invention for alcohol-blood concentration determinations.

For the qualitative and quantitative analysis of determining the alcohol content of solutions and particularly of aqueous solutions, such as beverages and medicines, the present invention offers an easy and inexpensive method and without the use of expensive apparatus or highly skilled technicians.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, such an apparatus is illustrated. In said gure numerals of the one hundred series indicate like or similar parts. I I8 indicates clips supporting vessel or container IIO having therein the color changing liquid I I previously described. Alcohol included air or other inert gas, such as nitrogen, is introduced at ||4 by supply line ||3. It passes through the liquid III having a level |0I and escapes through pipe I I5 to a combination pump and measuring apparatus having the cylinder I2 I, piston |24, connecting rod |25, crank shaft |21 and power (handle) |28. Indicator mechanism |29, |30 and |3| records the volume of air passed through the liquid III.

This air initially passes check |34 and byway of pipes |32 and |22 into cylinder |2|. Extraneous air cannot enter because of check valve in line |33. Upon comparison, the air in the cylinder is discharged from line |33 because check valve |34 prevents its reverse flow through liquid III.

The liquid to be tested is placed in vessel |09 and to the level indicated at |01. Water is added as a dilutent to level |06 and the vessel shaken to intimately mix the same. Stopper |05 is applied and valve ||6 opened. Thermometer |08 indicates the temperature.

Upon the pump being actuated, air is taken in at |20, passed `through the liquid in test tube |09 supported by clips II8 and supplied to vessel ||0 by pipe ||9.

'I'he pump is reciprocated until the color change before mentioned is obtained, or if not obtained until a predetermined minimum amount of air is passed through liquid III. In the later event, it can be said that there is no substantial amount or measurable quantity of alcohol in vessel |09.

Upon the color changing in vessel ||0, the quantitative presence of alcohol in vessel |09 is determined. The volume handled, indicated by the pumpage, determines the alcohol percentage in the liquid tested. Levels .|01 and |06 bear a known volume'ratio. The amount of alcohol necessary to change the color in tube IIO is known. The amount of air or other inert gas pumped is known. Therefore, the alcohol inert gas ratio is known. lIf this gas be air, then the alcohol percentage is directly determinable as follows:- l

The partition ratio is a function of the temperature. Thus at 37 degrees centigrade the ratio is approximately 1.2000; that is, at 37 degrecs centigrade, 2000 volumesl of air will contain the same Weight of alcohol as one volume of water. f

The determination of the concentration of alcohol in an aqueous solution of alcohol is obtained by simply analyzing air which has come to equilibrium with this solution at a given temperature. This is accomplished by passing a current of air through the solution to be tested and then through the alcohol sensitive reagent described. The number of strokes of the pump measures the volume of air containing the predetermined amount of alcohol vnecessary to change the color of the alcohol sensitive reagent. This gives the concentration of alcohol in the air analyzed and, the temperature being known, this is a measure of the concentration of alcohol in the fluid being tested.

For fluids high in alcohol such as whiskey, it is usually necessary to dilute with a known amount of water, say 100 volumes, before making the analysis. This dilution arrangement is indicated by reference to levels |06 and |01.

This method furnishes an easy rapid method for determining the alcohol content of beverages, etc., without the use of expensive apparatus or time consuming procedures.

While the invention has been described in great detail in the foregoing specification and the apparatus for practicing the same has been illustrated and described in the same detail, such detail description is not to be considered as of a restrictive character but the invention in its broad phases is to be considered solely from the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:-

1.A process of determining the degree of intoxication of a person who has imbibed ethyl alcohol, including passing the persons breath through a measured amount of an alcohol responsive color changeable liquid including a permanganic acid or a permanganate, sulphuric acid and water, the sulphuric acid and water having a specific gravity of from 1.3 to 1.6 and at a temperature not to exceed C. untilthe color has changed, the liquid including a soluf Cfr tion of a permanganate in a mixture of sulphuric acid and water of a. `specific gravity of from 1.3 to 1.6, dehydrating the breath after passing through thev color changeable liquid, and then abstracting the carbon dioxide from the dehydrated breath for determining the alcohol-blood concentration therefrom.

2. The process of determining' the degree of concentration of ethyl Aalcohol in a gas having a relatively constant percentage-'of carbon `dioxide therein, including passinga suilicient amount of the gas through a predetermined amount of ycolored liquid including a permanganic acid or a permanganate, sulphuric acid and water, the sulphuric acid and Water having a specic gravity of from 1.3 to 1.6 andat a temperature not to exceed 40 C. for changing the color of said liquid, the liquid including asolution'of a permanganate in a mixture of sulphuric acidand Water of a specific gravity of from 1.3 to.1.6, theamount of ethyl alcohol necessary to .change vthe color of a unit volume of the liquid being known, dehydrating the gas after passing through the liquid, completely abstracting from the dehydrated gas the carbon dioxide, and then determining the amount of carbon dioxide abstracted for determining the amount of gas including ethyl alcohol necessary to change the color of the liquid after determining the alcohol gas ratio.

3. The process of determining the degree of concentration of ethyl alcoholin a gas having a relatively constant percentage of carbon dioxide therein, including passing a suicient amount of the gas through a predetermined amount of colored liquid including a permanganic acid or a permanganate, sulphuric acid and Water, the sulphuric acid and Water having a specc gravity of from 1.3 to 1.6 and at a temperature not to exceed 40 C. for changing the color of said liquid, the liquid including a solution of a permanganate in a mixture of sulphuric acid and Water of a specific gravity of from 1.3 to 1.6, the amount of ethyl alcohol necessary to change the color of a unit volume of the liquid being known, said liquid-alcohol reaction producing no carbon dioxide as a reaction product, dehydrating the gas after passing through the liquid, completely abstracting from the dehydrated gas the carbon dioxide, and then determining the amount of carbon dioxide abstracted for determining the amount of gas including ethyl alcohol necessary to change the color of the liquid for determining the alcohol gas ratio.

4. A solution of a permanganate in suiiicient concentration to yield a violet to orchid color with sulphuric acid and Water, the latter two having a specic gravity of from 1.3 to 1.6, and which solution is changeable to a clear or light brown color at ordinary temperatures when subjected to sufficient ethyl alcohol.

ROLLA N. HARGER. 30 

